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special jury

special jury

1 7.7
A group of people chosen for their special knowledge to decide a legal case
  • noun
  • /ˈspɛʃəl ˈdʒʊəri/
  • Archaic
translation icon : jurado especial
  • Appeals could be taken within three days to a "special jury" whose decision was final.
  • special jury prize
  • special jury award
  • won a special jury

Examples

  • The special jury decided the appeal according to the law and the evidence, provided the decision was not repugnant to justice, equity, conscience, and the constitution, of which they shall judge.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The special jury was composed of experts in environmental science to handle the complex regulations involved in the case.

  • During the trial, a special jury with extensive knowledge of intellectual property law was chosen to ensure an informed verdict.

  • The court summoned a special jury to address the intricate legal issues surrounding the merger of the two companies.

Synonyms

blue ribbon jury
vsspecial jury
  • Formal
8.1

A group of chosen people with special knowledge who decide a difficult court case

is the same meaning but uses a more general descriptive term

How Specialized

special jury
  • Archaic
1 7.7
panel
423 3.7
jury
2.5

Surface Forms

special jury singular

Morphology

special + jury

The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'special' modifies 'jury' to indicate a jury with particular or exceptional characteristics (e.g., specific expertise). This modifier+head pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The noun special jury comes from older courts where judges picked people with the right skills or knowledge for a difficult case, such as merchants for a business dispute. That's why special jury means 'a jury chosen for their special knowledge'.